Moroccan Spiced Chickpeas

Ingredients:

• 1 med onion
• 4 med carrots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (we substituted 3/4 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cans chickpeas
• 1 preserved lemon
• 3 dried dates
• 2 cups baby kale
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Cooking oil, to heat 

 Instructions:

1.  Dice 1 med onion, slice 4 med carrots into thin rounds, dice 2 cloves garlic, pit and chop 3 dried dates. Remove pulp from preserved lemon and rinse and dice the rind. Drain and rinse 2 cans chickpeas. Chop 2 cups baby kale
2.  Heat a little bit of cooking oil in a saucepan over med-high heat
3.  Add onion and cook until semitranslucent
4. Add carrots, garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp Aleppo pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cinnamon
5. Stir and cook for 1 min
6. Add chickepeas, preserved lemon, and 3 cups water, bringing to a simmer
7. Reduce heat to med-low and let simmer 5 min
8. Stir in dates and cook 10 min more
9. Add kale and cook until wilted, about 2 min more
10. Stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice just before serving 

Yield: Enough for 4 people

Source: The Mediterranean Table cookbook

 Tips:  

I referenced this in the ingredients section, but we didn't have Aleppo pepper, so we substituted with 3/4 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Apparently you can also substitute with ancho chili powder.

In the recipe for the preserved lemons, it mentioned that to use them as an ingredient, you're supposed to cut away the pulp/flesh, then rinse and dice the rind. It didn't mention this in the entry for the spiced chickpeas, so I kept the pulp in and the result was something pretty lemon-forward.

Three dates didn't seem like much, and indeed, after tasting the final product I would add more

 Description:

I mentioned in my post on preserved lemons that I'm preparing for a get-together with some friends for a Moroccan-themed potluck. This will be the dish that I bring